EFFECTIVE FACTORS IN NSD PROCESS OF IRANIAN ACTIVE SCIENCE-BASED BUSINESSES IN THE FIELD OF NUTRITION COUNSELING

The intensive competition to offer new services in health care systems plus the patients tendency to receive appropriate and modern services have led to the application of innovations. In order to innovate in nutrition counseling services, New Service Development (NSD) process providing the least cost and most efficiency for enterprises, is one of the most appropriate solutions. The aim of this study was to identify effective factors of NSD process in the field of nutrition counseling. To implement the study, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured face to face interviews. In fact, the attempt was for the methodology involving in-depth interviews with academic experts and managers of nutrition counseling businesses in Tehran to be described. The gathered data were analyzed using axial and open coding methods. The results indicated that the NSD process in the field of nutrition counseling businesses contains four main stages and 15 different categories. Consequently, new concept development, SWOT, business analysis, system and process design, personnel training, pilot planning, marketing, branding, and developmental strategies are the effective factors in NSD process in the field of nutrition counseling.